Exactly what I thought, Danny- I kept on waiting for the gorilla to do something involving chocolate… but nothing… and then, when I tried to create an association on my own, all I could think of was that the gorilla was darkly colored, and that chocolate is also darkly colored- which somehow led me to imagine stuffing my mouth full of gorilla hair.

Should have given him a chocolate covered banana, at least.

Everyone is so desperately trying to part of the cool, viral crowd that they’ve failed to realize that there has to be some sort of connection to the brand. I mean, “the distressed bride” at least had an acceptable connection to Pantene and “subservient chicken” was touting a chicken sandwich, so… conceptually they make sense.

Now we are subjected to a rapping, pussycat handpuppet selling cheeseburgers and a drummer in a gorilla costume selling chocolate because marketing people who don’t “get it” are sitting around a table trying to sell to a demographic they don’t connect with by using a medium they don’t understand. To them, the crux of viral is “wierd”.

Frankly, I’m tired of all this bad viral… especially considering it’s still getting attention.

IMHO, it’s a direct barometer of the communications disconnect between old market and new market demographics, methodologies and strategies.

The new market requires a logic and sincerity that one cannot fake.

But on the bright side, at least it wasn’t a gorilla throwing poo that turned out to be cadbury chocolate. Although, based on the skittles campaign, Chiat Day may have been able to make that work!

How many of you has bought a Sony Bravia within the last 2 years

I think it’s brilliant but then being english means my humour and irony radar are set to ten out of ten. Content is advertising. This is content. Yes it will be remembered.

Dave Allen http://www.pampelmoose.com

i think it is essential for branding and advertising in general to have a sense of humor or be unusual in its delivery. with the constant influx of ads aimed at us every second we step out the door or visit a website or watch anything– let’s face it–who ISN’T becoming adverse to corp messaging. Cadbury Schweppes caught your attention and now they’re catching mine. (I would have never gone to their website had you not brought this to my attention… their advertising seems to be working just fine, huh!) But… how ’bout that taste of chocolate. The taste profile, something that will make you bite into that piece of goodness? Maybe they’ll be following up with sampling campaigns in your city, executed by people in gorilla suits. One never knows. But now you’ll probably think of Cadbury in the store a bit differently… and maybe that is exactly what they want!

Completely agree with Dave Allen. The fact that everyone is talking about it prooves that the advertising company have hit their target for Cadbury’s. There does not need to be a link between client and content. Just reputation.

well done Danny, I don’t ever comment on posts but I must commend you on putting this ad back in its purple box. Pathetic. Another ad-kid creates something on the client-dime under the new age guise of ‘content’. Tisk tisk tisk. And from Juan Cabral - someone who has managed on countless occasions to successfully bind brilliant insight to cracker execution; a combination that sees the same results as our random gorilla.
Just to comlete the vent of frustration…even the end line has NO sort of tie-in whatsoever. Disappointing and a slap in the face to the trade. Don’t get me wrong, I love a gorilla and a couple o’ high hats but what we all love is an insight and this, as you have so rightly pointed out, draws a blank.

Completely disagree with Dave Allen. An ad’s responsibility is not only to be memorable, it is to be a reflection, or an explanation, of the brand’s purpose and personality. The idea that people should be reached “however possible” is outdated, rapidly losing credibility among audiences, and, ultimately, a stab to a brands own heart.

“There does not need to be a link between client and content,” you say? Right, no link other than the one that states the client IS the content. Fuzzy brands are dying- if they don’t stand for something they are nothing- and this ad doesn’t even make me want to eat chocolate…which is about the easiest thing a chocolate ad can accomplish.

I have to admit that at first I wasn’t sure what to think of this film. Then I caught myself watching it over an over again, simply because I enjoyed it. I don’t know if it is a good ad or not. But, quite frankly, I don’t care. In my eyes it’s a good film.

Fuzzy Brands? Outdated? Reflections and Explanations? Stabbing Brands in the Heart? Were you in the Orange adverts? Tree Hugging?

It’s really not that complicated or romantic! It’s an advert that looks good and get’s people talking.

Job done.

Carmel. As GM at Nemo Design I am new to the ad world, and I certainly wasn’t trained in anything to do with advertising so my voice clearly doesn’t count alongside some of these sage like words that are being wasted on discussing this ad. I am a consumer though and Cadburys chocolate has been part of my life since I was a kid growing up in the UK. Before I saw this ad I had no inkling of how Cadbury was pitching it’s sweet, tooth-rotting wares. Now, thanks to Josh Spear dot com I do. That’s all.
The pointed vitriol in some of these comments is quite interesting, particularly this from Alex - “well done Danny, I don’t ever comment on posts but I must commend you on putting this ad back in its purple box. Pathetic. Another ad-kid creates something on the client-dime under the new age guise of ‘content’. ” It makes me feel that with the shifting paradigm in the ad world some people are worried about their jobs. I still think this is a great ad. And “new age guise of ‘content’” what does that mean Alex?

Dave Allen http://www.pampelmoose.com

Ok, I suppose it’s time I chime in. I am not denying, for even a moment, that this is a well-done, attention-getting moment of media. It’s awesome. I love it too. All the way up to the branded ending. THAT throws me.

An ad still has to have some connection to the brand. Otherwise it’s fluff. It may gain attention in the short run. It may even increase sales in the short run. But in the long term, it won’t do anything other than dilute the brand’s core image.

Otherwise, what’s to say we don’t grab a 25 second clip from some porn movie and slap McDonalds at the end of it? People would probably watch. It would gain attention. It would probably get passed around. People would remember it. But does it make you believe that McDonald’s makes great burgers?

Is it justifiable in this case because this happens to be a GOOD piece of content slapped in front of a brand logo? Hey, you want to tell me that the Bronx Zoo will let me see animals doing amazing things, then this works great. You want to show me the Easter Bunny rockin’ out to sell Cadbury Eggs in April, I can start to buy into it.

Then again, maybe I’m being hypocritical. I love the Skittles and Starburst spots that have run recently, and what does a dancing elf-boy have to do with chewy fruit candy?

Cadbury’s often makes quirky, funny ads. This one is purple, sweet and makes me smile. Dairy Milk is purple, sweet and makes me smile. The film does make me think of the brand everytime I watch it Perfect connection! And the Glass and a Half bit puts branding up front as well.

I would say that yes, it is strange, and also, there is no connection to the Cadbury brand. But as an interactive advertiser for branded sites, I can definately say, that those who are receiving this video, are going to pass it on, and remember where they saw it. As for myself, I know that I am going to check back at Cadbury’s site in a few weeks to see if anything new has been added. I think that this could be an effective strategy for repeat visits, and sustained engagement with the Cadbury brand via the website. This in the long term, can cause brand affinity with a visitor, who will perhaps purchase Cadbury’s the next time they’re buying chocolate.

“this ad doesn’t make me want to eat chocolate”… what ad does? what person watches an ad and then sits bolt upright with a sudden urge to run to the nearest shop and have a bar of chocolate, do noodle ads make you desire to eat noodles? I’d wonder how you react to those ads for 1800 numbers?

There are over 250,000 people on You-Tube talking about Cadburys, and another one or two that have seen it on tv. Its now made SkyNews on-line… how can you say that this isn’t good advertising.

An ad that keeps you watching until the end (where the brand name appears) is an ad that works… simple! But normal people aren’t driven to spend money because of ads.

The driving factor for buying anything is the need and affordability of it, I’d love a Ferrari, but it ain’t happening on my salary. I’ve never bought a car/tv/stereo/bread/milk because an ad implanted a seed in my brain. It’s the end product that sells, ads just make you talk about them and remind you they exist.

I may want chocolate someday, but the Gorilla isn’t going to make my mind up for me, nor will a pair of giant yellow and red M&M’s. If I like the taste I’ll buy one. If I don’t like the taste I won’t, regardless of how effective an ad campaign is.

How many of you have bought something because of an ad, seriously? XBox-v-Playstation, boiled down to personal choices, games choice, release dates, reliability, price. I can guarantee you it had nothing to do with the ads.

..bring on the sequel - Gorilla plays Beethoven

Frankly you’re all missing the point, speaking as an average guy working in the public sector & listening to all the banter going on around me the advert is on the tip of everyones tounge. Job done, this is an advert that evryone knows, they are talking about it & it will be remembered just like the smash robots. Who needs to see a glass & a half of milk or beautiful women eating chocolate. This advert breaks the mold & cadbury have spent their money well, you people need to stop trying to analyze everything & just enjoy the moment its not meant to provoke deep meaning its just a bloody good advert.

this “ad” is shit………sorry but it does not make everyone buy their products (makes them talk about the ad but not buy anything), and i hate the fact that it is becoming trendy to “get” ad’s. This ad is so obscure and off topic people think that is has some hidden meaning that they dont get (but they want to get it) so insted they talk about how good it is and enjoy being “in the know” when actually their is no hidden meaning - nothing just some guy in a costume playing drums with a semi iconic phil collins tune playing

bacically what im saying is that is it makes the masses feel clever when infact sadly these days they are not.

and the new airport theme one is just the same……………..

I think this ad was so refreshing, definetly caught my attention, i really don’t need things to be obvious in a traditional advertising association way.
Nice one cadbury.